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Silver Mist
ALLEGIANCES THUNDERCLAN LEADER Lionstar – golden tabby tom DEPUTY Forestfall – brown tabby tom MEDICINE CAT Flightfeather –old ginger and white she-cat with a muzzle gone grey with age Apprentice, Bluepaw WARRIORS Nightfall – dark grey tom with black legs Icepool – very pale cream she-cat with blue eyes Darkstorm – brown tabby tom Seedwhisker – pretty, young pale grey she-cat Rowanberry – dark ginger she-cat Robinsong – reddish coloured tom Silentspirit – grey she-cat with black flecks and tail Snowbuzzard – long-haired white tom Riverclaw – grey tom with blue eyes Patchfoot – black and white tom Tigerstripe – ginger tabby tom Leafstep – tortoiseshell she-cat Skyfeather – dark tom with cloudy blue eyes Tawnyspot – dark tortoiseshell she-cat with grey flecks along her sides APPRENTICES Bluepaw – blue-grey she-cat Archpaw – grey tom with a black tail Blackpaw – jet-black tom Inkpaw – black she-cat with a white patch covering her eye and ear QUEENS Daisynose – black and white she-cat mother of Bronzetail’s kits: Redkit (rusty brown coloured tom), Whitekit (tiny white she-cat) Cloverpool – pale ginger she-cat mother of Nightfall’s kits: Snowkit (long-haired white tom), Hollykit (pale ginger she-cat) Speckledflower – ginger she-cat with darker specks along her sides ELDERS ' Mossclaw – dark brown tom Runningfox – ginger tom Appleseed – light ginger tabby she-cat Cats outside the Clans Angel - cream she-cat Smudge - small grey and white tom Lily - pretty white she-cat with green eyes Aidan - dark ginger tom Tawny - dark tortoiseshell she-cat with one eye Windwhisker - pale ginger she-cat Prologue , The Secret Leaves crunched under the she-cat’s paws as she streaked down the slope leading to Sky Oak. The snow had already started falling and a strong gust of wind hit her side. She could see the huge tree though. Just a few paces away... Thrusting her head inside the hollow trunk she saw with relief that her two kits lay unharmed and undiscovered in their makeshift nest. She pulled herself inside and curled up beside them. By the time she had got comfortable, she could no longer see more than a few tail-lengths outside for all the snow. Spending the night there seemed a good idea. The kits would freeze before they made it to the hollow. The tabby she-cat lapped soothingly at all of her kits. There were four of them; three she-cat's and a tom. The first born was pale brown, the second was brown tabby and the third was a big ginger tom. The fourth born was the weakest by far. She was a long- haired white she-cat. This would be Snowkit, she decided. The first kit would be Jadekit and the third, Bramblekit. The brown tabby however seemed hardest to name. She looked exactly like her father Bramblestar. But she already had Bramblekit. So she would be Hollykit. The she-cat closed her eyes, curling around her beloved kits. Sleep washed over her like a black wave. It had been a hard day. But tomorrow would be much harder... Milky dawn light was now coming through the entrance to the Sky Oak. Knowing it was time to go; she scooped up her kits and trudged out into the freezing leaf-bare day. It took a while to get back to camp but soon she was standing outside of the nursery. Taking a deep breath the queen pulled inside. Holding back a gasp of horror the she-cat tried to back from the bramble thicket. But it was too late. Tawnyspot turned her head, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the two kits. “Where did you get them, Windwhisker?” she demanded. “They must be freezing!” Windwhisker lay them down next to her sleeping sister, Cloverpool. She turned back to Tawnyspot. “I found them dumped at the ShadowClan border,” Windwhisker lied lamely. “They were obviously unwanted because they had just been left. Not even under a bramble thicket.” Tawnyspot lashed her tail angrily. “The fox-hearted she-cat!” she hissed. “I’m sure they must be Dawntail’s! She’s never liked kits and last Gathering I could have sworn her belly was swollen.” Windwhisker nodded and poked her sister with a claw. Cloverpool jolted awake. Seeing the kits she nodded and pretended to look surprised. “Kits!” she cried. “Oh the poor scraps! Give them here, I’ve got plenty milk since Weedkit died.” Tawnyspot was nodding in agreement. “Skykit will be grateful for the company,” she mewed. Cloverpool swept the kits close to her with her tail. Windwhisker felt a thorn stab her heart as she lost her kits forever... Chapter One, The Real Nightmare Frost glittered in the icy sunshine. Clouds drifted sluggishly across the dove-grey sky and the scent of rain was heavy in the morning air. Hollykit jolted awake. Her fur was bristling furiously and her green eyes were wide in terror. She knew that cat. The ginger cat in her dreams. Yet... It had been an early memory. She had been curled asleep with him, Snowkit and another cat. The other cat had been pretty with pale brown fur and green eyes... Green eyes a lot like hers... Hollykit shook her head. It had only been a dream. “Hollykit,” Snowkit hissed, prodding her with a claw. “Are you awake?” “Yes, Snowkit,” Hollykit answered. Snowkit was blind. Cloverpool said got bramble thorns stuck in her eyes when she was little but Hollykit wasn’t so sure. Snowkit had scratches across her eyes and face. They looked suspiciously like claw-marks but Hollykit couldn’t be sure. Come to think of it, she had scars down one flank. She wasn't convinced that they had been from a bramble bush; they looked a lot like Snowkit’s. “Hmmm,” Snowkit mewed in her high-pitched voice. “It smells like snow. Can we go outside Hollykit?” Hollykit wrapped her tail around Snowkit’s neck. “Come on then,” she mewed. Snowkit scrabbled to her paws and let her sister lead her out into the stone hollow. Snowkit had been right. A thick layer of snow covered the hollow, sparkling in the early morning sunlight. A small amount of warriors had ventured out of their cosy nests and were hiding under the HighLedge. It was one of the few dry places in the camp. Hollykit spotted Nightfall among the warriors under HighLedge.Her father was talking to Icepool, another warrior, in a hushed voice. Hollykit turned away before Snowkit could scent him. She was proud to be his daughter of course; though Nightfall had never really treated her as a daughter. Nightfall was rather short-tempered and had no patience with kits. ''Odd, Hollykit thought to herself. His mate was a queen. Snowkit had taken interest in a frozen leaf and was now chasing it towards the thorn-tunnel. Hollykit could almost believe the bramble thorn story. “Snowkit!” she yowled, leaping in front of her. “Why don’t you chase it the other way?” Snowkit nodded and as Hollykit suggested, began to chase the leaf in the opposite direction. Hollykit veered off towards the apprentice's den. They would soon be apprentices. Until then they would just have to wait. Hollykit could already imagine the forest. The fresh, free smell of leaves, water, moss and mud. Her mouth watered and she soon found herself imagining she was stalking through the leafy, frosty forest. The scent of mouse tingled on her tongue and she could soon spot the little brown creature nibbling at a pine-cone. Hollykit bunched her muscles, leaping onto the mouse and killing it with a swift nip. Satisfied, Hollykit dug a whole, dropping the mouse inside. Now no fox, badger or anything else lurking in the forest would not be able to steal her catch.Hollykit leaped forwards, feeling the cold wet grass under her paws. It felt wonderful, almost as if she really was running free in the forest. The suddenly a cold feeling swept over her. It was if icy water was trickling down her spine, gluing her paws to the ground. Soon all she could do was stand as the icy sensation travelled around the rest of her body. It was almost as if all the happiness, all the freedom was being washed away by the cold water. Within a few moments she felt cold all over and then she felt a pain in her head. It burned like it was on fire although it was numbingly cold. A scream of agony burned up in Hollykit’s throat. Like the water the pain flowed all throughout her body until her legs buckled. Hollykit found herself writhing in agony on the forest floor, yowling at the top of her voice. The pain had blinded her, deafened her, taken away all of her senses. “Hollykit!” a horrified yowl jolted Hollykit back to reality. She was yowling as she had been in her mind, although she was lying on the ground outside of the apprentice’s den. Most of ThunderClan had gathered around in a circle around her, all of them staring at her in shock. Hollykit took a few calming breathes before attempting to get to her paws. But her muscles felt stiff and she found she couldn’t move. “What is going on?” a loud voice sounded from behind and Hollykit craned her neck around to see Lionstar, shouldering his way through the crowd of warriors.He stopped, staring at Hollykit, apparently just as shocked as the rest of the Clan. Hollykit met his gaze calmly although she was trembling all over. What had happened to her? “Nightfall, take her to the medicine cat den,” Lionstar ordered. Although Hollykit saw no need; Flightfeather was already there. Nightfall leaped forwards past Icepool. His jaws grasped around the scruff of her neck and she felt herself being lifted off of the ground. Hollykit let herself hang limp, exhausted. Although she had just woken up from a long nights sleep it was as though her nightmare had drained all of the energy from her. Nightfall lay her down on a soft moss and bracken nest in the medicine den. He left almost immediately, passing Flightfeather on the way. The old medicine cat den limped forwards towards her. She was shaking slightly, looking at Hollykit in an odd way through glazed eyes. “You-you dreamt,” she rasped, her voice trembling. “You dreamt of Silver Mist.” Chapter Two, Silver Mist and It's Darkness Hollykit stared at Flightfeather. She had heard stories from some of the warriors about how mad the old she-cat was. Now it was clear just how mad. Silver mist... Though the name did stir something in the back of her mind. Hollykit gasped as the pain flowed back around her body. A shudder ran down her spine and she began to writhe and struggle in her nest. She was suddenly pulled into the darkness. It was as if something had thrown her into water and her heavy fur was weighing her down... Hollykit suddenly realized as she gradually found it harder and harder to breathe that it was just like being thrown into water. She began to struggle against her mind, imagining herself kicking upwards, trying to get to the surface. The shrieks got louder still and Hollykit felt a surge of panic as they rang in her ears. Then she felt herself break free and her vision and hearing came back and she found herself back in the medicine cat den. *** "I think you can return to the nursery," Flightfeather declared. Hollykit looked up at her. Flightfeather's green eyes were dancing with amusement. She was sitting at the mouth of the medicine cat den, her tail wrapped around her paws. Bluepaw, her apprentice sat by Hollykit. Although she looked perfectly calm Hollykit could tell that the young apprentice was worried that Hollykit would fall over and roll around again. It had become quite clear that the rest of ThunderClan thought she was as mad Flightfeather. Although it had turned out that Flightfeather was not mad at all, just misunderstood. "Thank you Flightfeather," Hollykit mewed, pressing herself against the ginger she-cat. "But I would like to ask you something. Snowkit can't be a proper warrior apprentice, can she? And you've already got a medicine cat apprentice..." Flightfeather's eyes clouded with grief. "She will have to live with the elders for a while," she meowed. "That is what Lionstar thinks anyway. But I know of a blind cat just like her. He wanted to prove himself but ended up in all sorts of trouble." "Who?" Hollykit asked eagerly. "Why my mentor Jayfeather of course," Flightfeather purred. She swept her tail around Hollykit and began to usher her towards the entrance. "Come on now, you don't want to be late for your own ceremony." Hollykit nodded and leaped across the snowy hollow towards Cloverpool and Nightfall. Nightfall greeted her with a brisk nod while Cloverpool began to fuss over her fur. "Won't ever stick down," her mother muttered, licking Hollykit's spiky fur furiously. Hollykit pulled away. "It's fine," she assured her. "I've already cleaned it." Cloverpool nodded although she still looked unconvinced. "Will all cat's gather under HighLedge!" Lionstar's yowl echoed around the hollow. Butterflies fluttered madly in Hollykit's stomach and she felt Snowkit lean against her side. It was the first time she had even realized her sister had been beside her. ThunderClan began to crowd around Lionstar. After all of the Clan had settled Lionstar began. "Hollykit, Snowkit would you like to take your places in front of HighLedge," he meowed. Hollykit felt her legs move automatically forwards, all too aware that all eyes were on her. "Rowanberry, you were ready for your first apprentice. You will train Hollypaw." Rowanberry, a young bright ginger she-cat stepped forwards to touch noses with Hollypaw. Hollypaw was glad that she did not flinch nor hesitate. Instead she purred encouragingly. "Come on," she mewed and swept Hollypaw off to the side. "Snowbuzzard, Runningfox taught you well," Lionstar continued. "I ask you to pass on everything that you have learnt to Snowpaw." Snowpaw bounced forwards to touch noses with Snowbuzzard. "Snowpaw! Snowpaw! Hollypaw," ThunderClan chorused. Hollypaw felt a surge of disappointment at the half-hearted way the Clan called her name. The Clan really doesn't like me, Hollypaw realized sadly. They all think I'm mental. She watched as the Clan silently drifted back to their everyday duties. Rowanberry seemed to notice Hollypaw and an odd shine lit her eyes. With a jolt, Hollypaw knew Rowanberry knew how she was feeling. Rowanberry had the sense to stay silent. "Go and make your den in the apprentice's den," she mewed. "Then I'll give you tour of the forest." She nodded and turned to Snowpaw who followed her over to the apprentice's den. Chapter Three, The Battle Hollypaw carried the moss to the cave were the apprentices slept. It was dimly lit by the frosty sunlight that streamed through the entrance and the roof was quite low, making it all seem cosy except for the melted snow by the entrance. Blackpaw was sleeping silently near the front of the den and Archpaw near the back. Hollypaw spotted a little ledge at the very back. It was higher than the entrance so she wouldn't feel the wind at night and if snow came in it wouldn't get wet. Hollypaw picked her way carefully to the ledge and leaped up. She was aware of Snowpaw making her nest as close as she could to Blackpaw's. Hollypaw felt her fur itch with irritation. Though he may be good looking with sleek coal-black fur and green eyes that glittered and sparkled, Blackpaw was the most annoying fur-ball in the whole of ThunderClan. He took every chance he got at making smart remarks and Hollypaw had also seen him bully Archpaw countless times. Hollypaw thought it was horrible to make fun of Archpaw. He had pale grey fur and a dark grey stripe down him back and along his tail and Hollypaw personally thought that he was much more handsome than Blackpaw. Though she knew the reason that Blackpaw tried to ruffle his fur was because he was much better in battle than Blackpaw was. Every time they had practiced their training in the hollow Archpaw won, even though he was three moons younger. Before she knew it she had finished her nest. She leaped down from the ledge to help Snowpaw who was having a lot of trouble with her nest. "Hey, Hollypaw," Archpaw mumbled, lifting his head as she passed. ''(To be continued...)'